15,000 elderly New Zealanders say they are lonely

Loneliness. We all experience it at various times, but some more often than others.

A study by the University of Otago has found one in five elderly New Zealanders are lonely.

About 72,000 elderly people were surveyed and more than 15,000 responded saying they were lonely - that's just over 20 percent of those who took part in the study.

Dr Hamish Jamieson, a medical specialist at the University of Otago joined Wendyl Nissen on Afternoon Talk to discuss the study and the negative impacts loneliness is having on the lives of elderly people.

Listen to the full interview with Dr Hamish Jamieson above.

Afternoon Talk with Wendyl Nissen, 12pm - 3pm on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone.

Credit: File.

Ways to combat loneliness

The UK has just appointed a Minister to address the issue .. so, do we need to follow suit?

wevisit.co.nz is a website that matches young people with older people to help conquer loneliness.

Head of Community Innovation at My Care, Sam Johnson joined Lloyd Burr on RadioLIVE Drive to discuss the initiative and how it's improved the lives of older people who now have a companion.

Sam believes the connection between youth and the elderly can help tackle complex social issues, including mental illness, youth suicide, and loneliness.

Drive with Lloyd Burr - in for Ali Mau, weekdays from 3pm-6pm on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the ROVA app on Android and iPhone.